[BZap49]

I love the KSC-75s, but I'm really getting sick of their low durability. My fourth pair just broke (left side dead). I can send it in to be replaced, of course, but the $9 fee plus shipping isn't easy to swallow on a pair of headphones that I only paid $15 for. I'm wondering if I should just buy something more durable so I don't have to keep re-buying my KSC-75s every year. Is there anything out there that's comparable? I'd be willing to spend a little bit more than the KSC75s cost if it means getting something that sounds good and won't break if I look at it wrong. Any potential alternatives must be the clip on type. I hate earbuds, and large over-the-head units are too big to be used when I'm out and about.

 

[julian67]

I don't think you'll find clip-ons that are better made and which sound good. Maybe the Yuins sound as good or better (I haven't tried them) but they don't have a reputation for being any better made and they don't have the simple warranty and breaking them could get very expensive very fast.

What exactly is breaking? The cables? Driver? Jack? You mention "left side dead" so I suppose it's the cable. This might be down to something as simple as habitually winding the cable around the player when not in use or something similar. This can tug at the connections or put a kink in the cable outer.

I've had my KSC75 about 6 months so can't really assess durability but they seem OK to me. I have snagged the cable on doorhandles and similar quite a few times. If you are on your fourth broken pair I suspect the issue could lie with storage or handling. When I store my KSC75 or IEMs I make sure to loop the cable without tugging at either end and I never remove IEMs or headphones by tugging the cable. If leaving them in a bag or pack they ought not be left loose. They are so small that it's easy to pack them - mine fit nicely into a tiny protective case that came with a Logitech travel mouse but any small soft case will be better than being loose.

 

[BZap49]

That's what I was afraid of. I guess I'll just have to suck it up and pay the warranty fee again.
 
I don't really wrap the cord around things, but I do bunch up the headphones and put them in a bag from time to time. I've done this with numerous headphones, and the only ones I keep having problems with are the KSC-75s. It's really annoying that they don't put any effort into durability on these. My guess is that it costs them less than $9 to make, so they probably turn a profit every time somebody needs a warranty replacement. Unfortunately, since nothing else sounds quite as good, people don't have very many options, especially if they're picky about the form factor like I am.

 

[jant71]

Check out the Blaupunkt Comfort Acoustica or the Brookstone Clear Earpods. The Dunu C60II as well is worth a look.